Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Big debate: Which pet has a lower impact on the environment; a dog or a cat?

There's a big debate going on over at Yahoo Answers about which pet has a lower impact on the environment; a dog or a cat?
Michael C starts off the conversation with:

I've noticed a dramatic increase in the number of dog owners in the city where I live. In addition to the fact that the dogs don't have much space to roam (I live downtown), I've noticed that there is a lot of feces on the sidewalks, and that so many dogs are peeing on neighborhood bushes that the plants are dying. Since the feces and urine ultimately end up in my local body of water, there must be some environmental impact to this dog ownership surge. On the other hand, cats use litter boxes, and those get sent to the landfill, so I'm wondering which pet people think is a more environmentally responsible choice.

3 comments:

The "more environmentally responsible choice" is the one pet owners make in how to care for their pets. The dog or cat question is irrelevant; after all, a human has far more environmental impact potential than any pet. Caring for ourselves and our pets properly will minimize the impact. If we insist on asking which type of pet has the least impact, then the answer would be a pet rock.

I couldn't agree more with andrew's comment! The environmentally responsible choice is the choice to CLEAN UP after your pet! Cities also have an opportunity to benefit from this seemingly stinky problem. For instance, San Francisco has developed programs for collecting dog poo and turning it into a renewable energy source. One person's problem can be another's solution.

Or you can pick up after your dog with a "flushable" waste bag from Flush Puppies. I discovered this product a few months ago and love it! The bag leaves no residue behind, is totally convenient, and allows you to dispose of teh waste the way it should be disposed of...by flushing it. Its also great not to have a stinky trash can any more!

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